The present invention relates to agents which are suitable for removing a large number of different stains and deposits on hard and soft surfaces.
In particular, the agent is suitable for removing difficult-to-remove stains from soft, sensitive materials such as textiles. The stains may be stains in the armpit area of items of clothing, but also stains made of chocolate, lipstick, shoe cream, red wine, turmeric, grease, lime, soap residues, feces, rust, blood and chewing gum.
Moreover, the agent according to the invention is also suitable for removing stains or deposits from hard surfaces. In particular, the agent according to the invention can also be used industrially for the removal of deposits, for example of flue gas resin in boiler plants and combustion chambers. In a further variant, the agent according to the invention can also be used to strip contaminants on semiconductor surfaces. Use in etching processes is also possible. A further field of use is the removal of moss.
The prior art discloses various stain removers for stains made of chocolate, lipstick, shoe cream, red wine, turmeric, grease, lime, soap residues, feces, rust and blood. Moreover, there are various household products that are used for removing such stains.
However, with the agents known hitherto, either adequate removal of stubborn stains, such as, for example, of cocoa, lipstick or turmeric, is not possible, or the fabric exhibits damage following application of the agent.
A further problem in the removal of stains, for which no satisfactory solution that is gentle to the fabric has hitherto been found, is the removal of stains in the armpit area of textiles. Such stains are to be attributed to the formation of sparingly soluble deposits which partially harden. It is assumed that these deposits are reaction products of perspiration, aluminum chlorohydrates present in the deodorants and the metabolic products of bacteria. No suitable agent that is gentle to the fabric is known to date for the complete removal of such stains.
Agents for cleaning sanitary objects such as toilet bowls which can be applied directly to a sanitary object such as a toilet, adhere there and can be flushed away only after a relatively large number of flushing operations and which are so sticky that further agents can be attached thereto are known from EP 2 275 524 B1. These agents serve for maintenance cleaning and not for the one-off removal of stains or contaminants.
Acidic agents which supposedly serve in particular for the removal of stains on textiles in the armpit area are known from WO 2011/077144 A1. These agents are strongly acidic (pH<1) and comprise water and a surfactant as well as an acid. If desired, the agent can also be thickened with a gel former or a thickener such as, for example, ethoxylated fatty alcohols/ethoxylated fatty amines.
In practice, however, it is found that such agents either do not permit adequate removal of the stains in the armpit area of the textiles, or else do remove the stains but at the same time damage the textiles.
Acid-comprising agents for cleaning hard surfaces are known from WO 2009/085049. The agents therein comprise an organic acid, nonionic surfactants, water and a hydrophilic polymer which adsorbs to the hard surface. As hydrophilic polymers, which also adsorb to the hard surface, this document teaches the use of polybetaines.
Agents for removing stains from textiles which comprise lightly colored crystalline clay minerals are known from EP 1 238 050 B1. WO 03/066797 teaches a stain cleaner which comprises, inter alia, a hydrophobic component.
EP 0 786 514 A2 discloses a stain remover which comprises nonionic surfactants, anionic soaps and a polymer.
DE 199 35 259 A1 discloses a bleach composition which can be used as pre- or post-treatment agent for textiles.
DE 10 2007 014 875 A1 teaches a liquid cleaner which comprises photocatalytic material, humectants and surfactants.